By Elishya Perera
SINGAPORE (CWBN)_ According to the National University of Singapore (NUS), researchers have developed a breathalyser test which could detect COVID-19 within a minute.
The test, developed by NUS start-up, Breathonix, requires the person testing for COVID-19 to simply blow into a disposable mouthpiece connected to a high-precision breath sampler. A machine-learning software subsequently analyses the volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the exhaled breath, and generates the result in less than a minute.
During the pilot clinical trial, involving 180 patients, the test achieved more than 90 per cent accuracy. However, according to NUS, the clinical trial is ongoing and more tests are required to further improve the accuracy of the technology.
Currently, standard COVID-19 screening involves a swab test, which uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which can take a few hours. According to Dr. Jia Zhunan, Chief Executive Officer of Breathonix, the new test is “easy to administer and it does not require specially-trained staff or laboratory processing”.
Therefore, this breathalyser test is an attractive solution for mass screening, in densely populated areas, and can also be deployed in airports to boost the crippled tourism industry.
Edited By Chathushka Perera
